Munkin

Didn't even know they made lures only rods/reels. Allen

My most memorable catches that were not bass in no particular order: 1.17lb Carp on a Baby Brush Hog during a tournament. 2. 20" Brown trout on a bass tube. 3. About a 20lb Flathead catfish on a Keitech creature bait. 4. Me at 6' a Bluecat that when standing holding it chest level, tail touched the boat on a swim jig. 5. Caught 2 Redfish at the mouth of the Chickamuxen (However you spell it) off the Potomac river that I though were Stripers on a spinnerbait. Now I caught a ton of different species fishing for bass that are gamefish. As such I don't consider Walleye, Pike, Musky in this category. Non-Fish catches 1. Owl picked up a Jitterbug off the surface of a pond. 2. Bat on a popper (There is a thread of this). 3. Beaver hooked in the side with a crankbait. 4. Snapping turtle on a Baby Brush Hog. 5. Northern water snake that hit a Berkeley Gulp worm. Allen

Carolina rig gets snagged too much and I can't keep sunfish off a drop shot bait. Allen

Rarely do I use one that light but when I do its a Stanley. I make most of my own spinnerbaits and if I need something small I pour a 1/4oz on a cut down frame. Allen

That color looks interesting! Allen

My favorite soft plastic color overall in green pumkin followed by solid black. Below are my favorite colors from different manufacturers that are not common colors. Yamamoto= Natural shad, its a smoke with sparce black and gold flake. For clear water nothing else looks as much like a minnow to me so it is a tie between this and GP for top senko color. SK= Crawdaddy which is brownish/black and orange. Can't think of another company that makes a color like this. RI= California 420, hate the name but this is a great color period. Zoom= Scuppernong, this is just a translucent brown that works in clear water. The biggest bass I caught in the Potomac River (6-7) was on this color. Gitzit= Brown, looks black until you hold it up to the light. Keitech= Natural craw, GP no flake over brown/orange bottom. This color just looks like the crayfish in our area and works. Baits are not very durable. So, what does everyone else like? Allen

Started giving away tackle to HS teams as a way to get rid of it. Figured in the past 4 years I have donated about $1200 worth of tackle to 5 different teams. Got a jersey, hoodie, and a hat from the different coaches of the teams. Allen

I have a couple packs of these around somewhere? The 4" baits seem a little too big for me. Allen

Got tired of replacing new never used lures in the tackle box with newer lures each year. Bought less than 5 new lures to try this year and some line that's it. Started a fishing stuff cull in garage already. Allen

Sometimes there is a subtle difference between baits that we cannot see? The Popper was listed as one of these baits. I have like 15 different brands/models of poppers and can say they are not all the same. Balsa poppers like the Splash-It and Rico are more of a finesse topwater bait. The Spash-It has been a top producer for the past 2 years over my other poppers when the water is hot and clear. Allen

It maybe called Gander Outdoors now? Allen

Since I lose a jig every 1.5 hour of fishing on average they are too expensive. River fishing and bottom contact lures gets expensive. Allen

Jake's Bait and Tackle in Winchester, VA and Tri-State Baits in Waynesboro, PA are the two local to me. Gander Moutain and Dick's are close with crazy high prices. Allen

Case Plastics Sweet P is overall my favorite but no longer made. Smallie Beaver is what's available: Green Pumpkin, California 420, and orange/brown swirl (Not sure of the real name). Allen

Eagle Claw, I forget the specific model right now? Think I still have some around here. Allen

If you want to get rid of the bluegill throw some flathead catfish in there. Allen

Was in a hurry to get back to fishing so no pics. Allen

Most by catches are just annoying to me when bass fishing. Sunfish ripping appendages of soft plastics, pickerel biting off lures, catfish slime on my boat carpet, muskies destroying lures are just a pain in the butt for me. Allen

I have fished them off and on since the late 80's with success. Rebel is what I used years ago and now its Zoom usually on a Slider head. I would put this in my top 5 must catch a bass on the Potomac River lures. Allen

Fish most places I Fish the medium size baits work best. Walking baits around 4" work the best. Allen

I would end up with marabou glued on my fingers if I tried this. Allen

Tonight was the initial Thursday night tournament held on the Upper Potomac River and I caught a new PB. Throwing a Keitech Crazy Flapper in GP over Orange I hooked into a monster and thought I had the winning bass for the evening. When we actually got it into the net it was about a 20lb Flathead catfish which is a new PB but quite a disappointment. I was really hoping it was a big SM that would put me into the money. Allen

Texas rigged just like you and yes I have noticed it spirals as well. This bait I use when they are hitting creature baits and I am looking to upgrade as they catch bigger fish. If I must keep the bait from spiraling, I use the Owner weighted center pin hook in 3/32oz along with the bullet weight. Allen

Tom, what are your thoughts on the wooden Sammy vs the regular plastic ones? I recently picked up 2 along with a Mike Bucca Bull shad to try. As for confidence baits I have a ton of different ones based on where I am fishing. Where I live in Maryland I have to fish a lot of different water/conditions. Upper Potomac River is mostly SM in a clear to stained rocky river so a lot of tubes, finesse jigs, jerkbaits. Lower Potomac is Tidal, muddy, and all LM so baits are different for example rattle traps, big bladed spinnerbaits, etc that fish can find using their lateral line. Third set of conditions is deep really clear lakes and reservoirs which usually means light line and finesse baits like drop shot. So for all of these I have developed confidence lures over the years for each situation. The lures that crossover all of these though are; shakeyhead, flick shake, spinnerbait, creature bait, and a jig. Allen

Send me a message and I will send you some heads to try. If they work I can give you all the information needed for someone to make them locally for you. The mold can only make 1/8 and 3/16oz so let me know what weight. Allen